Andrew Murray, the great South Africa pastor of the 19th and early 20th century, in his book The Prayer Life gave a compelling illustration about the importance of prayer. Prayer, Murray said, is like when,
"Two persons quarrel over a certain point. We call them Christian and Apollyon. Apollyon notices that Christian has a certain weapon which would give him a sure victory. They meet in deadly strife, and Apollyon resolves to take away the weapon from his opponent and destroy it. For the moment the main cause of the strife has become subordinate; the great point now is who shall get possession of the weapon on which everything depends? It is of vital importance to get hold of that. So it is in the conflict between Satan and the believer. God's child can conquer everything by prayer. Is it any wonder that Satan does his utmost to snatch that weapon from the Christian, or to hinder him in the use of it?"
Oh how vital is the tool of prayer, but oh how quick we are to relinquish the use of this vital tool. I am more and more persuaded that the evangelization of the Datooga will not happen apart from the prayers of God's people. II Corinthians 4:4 says that "the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." Satan has blinded the hearts and minds of this lost world to the glorious truth of Christ, and he will not release them from this blindness willingly. But praise God, there is One to whom even Satan must bow, and He it is who has urged us "
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Mat 7:8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." Would you join with us in the use of this most crucial of weapons by praying for the salvation of the Datooga?
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Mat 7:8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." Would you join with us in the use of this most crucial of weapons by praying for the salvation of the Datooga?
To that end, I would encourage you to follow this link http://www.scribd.com/full/13861908?access_key=key-qigw4stai0trjlm89g0 to download a list of Scriptural prayers that you can pray for us and other missionaries. I would also request prayer for Rodney and Lynn Myers, our future partners in this ministry to the Datooga. They are even now engaged in the front lines of the spiritual battle for the hearts and minds of the Datooga. For more information as to their ministry needs, please see http://rodney-mydayinthebush.blogspot.com/. Pray that God's Spirit would be at work to open the eyes of the Datooga by convicting them of sin, righteousness, and judgment. And pray for us that God would enable us to raise the funds we need so that we can quickly arrive in Tanzania and begin partnering with Rodney and Lynn.
Because He Lives,
Aaron and Nicole Shipe and family
P.S. On another note, Nicole and Eden continue to do extremely well! Many nights she is sleeping for seven hours at a stretch!! What a gem!
